Parents withdraw son from Modesto City Schools over racial slurs. District responds
Michelle Young called her seventh-grade son during lunch period at Mark Twain Middle School last week to check on him. Instead of their usual conversations about how his classes are going and how he is doing in the day, she overheard his peers yelling at him, “monkey alert, monkey alert.”
This was one of three instances in the past two months of students shouting “monkey” at Young’s 13-year-old son. He is one of very few Black students at the junior high. Last year, only 14 students out of 676 at Mark Twain identified as Black.
“We’re not teaching our son to condone being called a racial slur,” said Randolph Young, Michelle’s husband. “Because how this works is first comes the racial slurs, then comes the group of kids throwing racial slurs and the final step to that is violence, and we want to avoid that.”
When the Youngs reached out to the school’s administration regarding this incident, they said they were told, “Your son needs to get thicker skin because everyone talks like that here.”
“While we understand and appreciate the concerns families may have in sensitive situations like these, our investigation has not found evidence that a staff member made a disparaging statement to the student’s parent,” said Sharokina Shams, chief communications officer for Modesto City Schools. “We are in contact with the parents and are open to discussing their concerns and ensuring clarity around our processes.”
The Youngs said they repeatedly asked the school to tell the offending students’ parents of the racist comments. But it wasn’t until they reached out to the district superintendent’s office that they were told equity and intervention specialist Will Patterson would work with them to address those students.
Family considering next move for child
The Youngs pulled their son out of Modesto City Schools and will be evaluating their next steps as he attends another school district. Though their son was hurt by the racial harassment, he is a little sad leaving, because he did enjoy some parts of school.
“He liked some of the teachers there,” Michelle Young said. But she and her husband told their son they weren’t confident the school staff could keep him safe.
Shams said racially disparaging or being discriminatory in any way will not be tolerated by the school or the district.
She also said the incidents were reported to school administrators, who communicated with the students’ parents and addressed the behavior with those involved, reinforcing the students’ language was not OK. Disciplinary action was taken, but the district said it could not give specifics.
“Teachers at Modesto City Schools are indeed mandatory reporters, particularly in cases involving child abuse and neglect, as outlined in state law,” Shams said. “In situations involving bullying or allegations of racism, teachers are expected to report incidents according to district policy. If a teacher fails to report an incident, the district takes these matters seriously and investigates accordingly.”
The district also said it wants to address other concerns Black students and families have expressed. In an August board meeting, Patterson presented a report to the board titled “African American Success Plan.” In this report, he said that when the district did cold calling, Black parents cited issues of racial bullying and lack of academic support for their students.
The report also revealed that in the district, Black students had the highest chronic absentee rates and suspension rates while having the lowest graduation rate compared to all other demographics.
To address these concerns, the district planned to continue working with the Equity Audit teams to institute a districtwide anti-bullying campaign and have more mental health services. It also planned to meet with more Black families and students from grades five through nine, expand its mentoring program with the NAACP and ensure every high school has a Black Student Union.
Novora Edmonds’ son recently transferred to Modesto City Schools and attends Gregori High School. Though Edmonds said her son has not experienced racial discrimination, she knows others have.
Another parent wants better communication
Edmonds said she appreciates the district’s plans but hopes it will connect with more Black families. She believes the district’s plans for Black students are a step in the right direction but thinks communication is lacking between parents and the school.
“I think ... part of it is that we don’t see people who look like us in positions where that would make us comfortable addressing certain issues.”
Last year, around 3% of students identified as Black in the school district, while 1.3% of teachers identified as Black.
“I think that they need to take incremental steps to see where improvements are made and where they are just wasting their time, where they can redirect their efforts,” she said.
Wendy Byrd, president of Modesto/Stanislaus chapter of the NAACP, said she, too, appreciates the efforts the district has made so far. She also appreciates the district’s plan to address Black students and families. She hopes the results will be equitable, resulting in improved graduation rates and decreases in suspensions and chronic absenteeism.
“Students show up to classes with unique differences,” she said. “Some may be hungry. Some may have experienced different levels of trauma. Some may not feel supported with the school or maybe at home. We have to not just look at the students in terms of academics but look at their emotional and social disposition as well.”
This story was originally published October 4, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
